Etsy Love: The Fabulous Mr. Fox

I love foxes. A lot. I love that they can be adorably cute or cunning and clever. And I love the orangey-red color. Here are some cute Etsy fox finds for your viewing pleasure:

SWEETHARVEY

Notecards

MINITOES

Soft Baby Shoes

STAYAWAKE

Finger Puppet

KATEDURKIN

Pillow

KLOIN

Embroidery Pattern

PUMPKINPIEORIGINAL

Onesie

BIRDSOFOREGON

Locket

THISYEARSGIRL

Art Print

ANDRALYNN

Art Print

THETIMEKIDS

Magnets

Etsy Love

While searching for things to add to the boys room, I stumbled upon these great Etsy stores. Enjoy!

Graphic Spaces Wood

Grammie's Hats

Just Hatched

Amber Alexander

Lulu Froot

Her Flying Horses

Trafalgar's Square

Cath 94170

Not Just Another Blonde ...

... In Beijing!

Click on the button above to visit my friend Hao Danni's blog. Basically one of the most amazing people I know, Hao Danni and her husband both studied Chinese in Monterey, CA. She was in the same class as my husband. They are now living, traveling, and studying (and blogging!) in China.

Don't let this cute little blonde fool you with her love of fashion; she is one of the smartest, funniest people I know. It's no mystery why her blog, only launched this March, already has nearly 350 followers. (Including yours truly!) Hao Danni has a little something of everything. Amazing Pictures: check. Fashion and Beauty: check. Travel and Culture: check. Ethnic Cuisine: check.

Stop by, check it out, and I'm sure you'll want to stay for a while.

Women of the World

Looking for something different, I picked up this CD at the library. What a pleasant surprise. From the first song, I was in love. The world music/folk feel of this gentle CD was the perfect background for cooking dinner.

This CD features 11 tracks, each by a different female artist. The songs are from around the world and are sung in Spanish, French, and English. The quality of voices and recording is excellent. There was only one song that I didn't love.

Aztec Power Food

Today I am excited to introduce you to two amazing pseudocereals, amaranth and quinoa (keen-wah).

These delicious foods are not true grains, but are seeds. They are prepared and eaten like grains, however and make excellent grain substitutes for people with gluten intolerance. In contrast to grains, these seeds have a complete protein, making them a good choice for vegetarians. Both amaranth and quinoa are high in fiber and contain many important nutrients.

Wikipedia on Quinoa

"The Incas, who held the crop to be sacred, referred to quinoa as chisaya mama or mother of all grains, and it was the Inca emperor who would traditionally sow the first seeds of the season using 'golden implements'. Quinoa has a light, fluffy texture when cooked, and its mild, slightly nutty flavor makes it an alternative to white rice or couscous."

"A common cooking method is to treat quinoa much like rice, bringing two cups of water to a boil with one cup of grain, covering at a low simmer and cooking for 14–18 minutes or until the germ separates from the seed. The cooked germ looks like a tiny curl and should have a slight bite to it (like al dentepasta). As an alternative, one can use a rice cooker to prepare quinoa, treating it just like white rice (for both cooking cycle and water amounts)."

Wikipedia on Amaranth

"It was one of the staple foodstuffs of the Incas, and it is known as kiwicha in the Andes today. It was also used by the ancient Aztecs, who called it huautli, and other Native America peoples in Mexico to prepare ritual drinks and foods. To this day, amaranth grains are toasted much like popcorn and mixed with honey,molasses or chocolate to make a treat called alegría (happiness in Spanish)."

"Amaranth was used in several Aztec ceremonies, where images of their gods (notably Huitzilopochtli) were made with amaranth mixed with honey. The images were cut to be eaten by the people."

Eating Amaranth and Quinoa

My mom had some of this delicious instant cereal in her cupboard and I have fallen in love with it! It is made of puffed amaranth, rolled oats, fruit, sunflower seeds, and flax seeds. I use it as the perfect topping for my berries and yogurt! You can purchase this yummy cereal at Vital Life Products or in select Utah stores.

For some recipes using Quinoa, visit Quinoa.net.

Favorite Things Installment #2: Soap Nuts

Soap Nuts? A plant that acts as laundry detergent?

So I have to admit, that when I first heard about these I thought it was some scam to take advantage of the current going green craze. Then I found out that one of my very cool friends, Meridth, used them and she gave me some to try. You put 2-4 of these things in the washing machine with your clothes and viola!

What in the heck is a soap nut, you might ask? It really does come from a plant, but it isn't a nut, it's a berry/fruit. According to the website Green Virgin Products (where I buy my soap nuts): "The soap nut contains a natural soap called saponin. Saponin has cleaning abilities equal to toxic chemical detergents. Soap Nuts are extremely hypo-allergenic and can be used by people who are allergic to all other detergents. They are completely green and don't pollute our planet."

The great thing is, they actually work! And, not only do they replace detergent, but you don't have to use dryer sheets either. You get soft, clean, fresh smelling (there are no perfumes) laundry for a fraction of what you would spend on regular products.

I highly recommend trying these out, especially if you have sensitive skin or are trying to reduce the chemicals in your home!

Favorite Things Installment 1: Sock Attack

If you read my previous post, you will know I recently found a lot of cool new things from my friends.

One of Dacia's favorite things she shared was the CUTEST sock monkeys that she makes for friends. Dacia made one for Ethan and it was the only stuffed animal he liked for the longest time and is still his favorite. The above monkey is not one of hers, but is similar.


So, after a little web research and tons of cuter than cute ideas, I am just itching to make my own. Of course, being Michelle, I would need to buy a book. Because there is a book for everything. This is the book I want:





Oh, my gosh! Doesn't that little dog just kill you?!

But, I must hold my breath on this one. You see, dear reader, I already have enough crafty projects for one little Michelle to handle at the moment. For now I will just dream in socks!


If you are interested in making your very own adorable creation, you can see a step by step tutorial by visiting THIS WEBSITE or a simple overview on THIS WEBSITE.

Favorie Things

Dacia and I recently hosted our second annual "Favorite Things" Party, and I must say, it was a smashing success. What better way to spend an evening than with favorite people, favorite foods, and all manner of favorite things?

For those of my dear readers who have never had the privilege of attending a Favorite Things Party, let me enlighten you. Here is my recipe for a delightful event:

1. Select the perfect night, preferably in January or February.
2. Invite 14 of your most favorite girl friends in the whole wide world. (Keep in mind that 10 of them will say they are coming, and 7 will show up)
3. Instruct each friend to make a list of at least 10 of their favorite things from the previous year. These things should be specific (like a favorite movie, restaurant, store, book, game, website, health/beauty product, etc). The point is to share things you love and learn about cool things that your friends like. Your friends should bring as many items as possible and practical for show and tell.
4. Each friend should bring one item that they can share with everyone. (Like bringing everyone a copy of the menu for your favorite restaurant or a piece of your favorite candy) These things should be small and inexpensive - just cute little treasures to take home.
5. Each friend should bring a favorite food along with a copy of the recipe for each guest. (Yum ... this is always a highlight!)
6. Welcome your friends to your home and bask in the excitement and camaraderie of sharing favorite things! Each guest should take time to explain their list and hand out their goodies.

We have found that this party works best for groups that either know each other well (our little military community, or a family, for instance) or are very outgoing.

Stay tuned for future posts in which I share some of the favorite things I discovered!

Homemade Veggie Pizza

This dough recipie is fast and simple. You can use it with any toppings, but these are our favorites!

Makes two pizzas

Pizza Dough
2 TBS Yeast
2 TBS Sugar
2 cups Warm Water
4 cups Flour
2 tsp Salt
1 TBS Olive Oil

Toppings
1/3 Cup Ranch Dressing
3-4 Cloves of Garlic, finely chopped
1 – 1 ½ Lbs. Cheese, grated
½ zucchini, thinly sliced
1 can artichoke hearts
2 tomatoes, coarsely chopped
½ red onion, chopped
½ cup spinach, chopped
1 each red and green bell peppers chopped

Directions:
Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add flour, salt, and oil. Mix well. Let dough rise until doubled, about an hour. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray pans with cooking spray. Sprinkle with cornmeal if desired. Divide dough in half. Roll out on a well oiled surface and place on pizza pans. (Cookie sheets work just as well)
Add garlic to ranch dressing and spread over pizza crusts. Sprinkle with ½ of the cheese. Add veggie toppings evenly, going all the way to the edge of the crust. Add the other ½ of cheese.
Bake for approximately 35 minutes, but check after 20 minutes as bake times may vary. Cheese should be completely melted and crust just starting to turn golden. Let cool for a few minutes before slicing.
Enjoy!

Tag Team

If you know me, then you know I love my friends and I love blogs. I especially love my friend Becca’s “food blog.” In quotes because it started out as a food blog and has now evolved into a blog about everything healthy. I highly recommend reading Becca’s blog because she really takes the time to research subjects and then put them into practice. Having a friend like this is great for me. I try to surround myself with people who know what they are talking about because, while I like learning new things, frankly I’d rather just take your word for it. Life is too short for me to spend researching the pros and cons of everything. And 9 times out of 10 Becca and I are on the same page about things, especially health and fitness related things. When I tell Dan that I learned something from Becca he just shakes his head and says, “You and Becca just like to tag team, don’t you?”

To read Becca’s blog, click here: A Word of Wisdom

Three Cups of Tea

Yes, I know this book came out a while ago, and yes I know that the sequel is already in bookstores, but it's ok. I have never been one to follow the very latest trends. You're talking to a girl who JUST discovered Weezer.

Anyway, This book is absolutely wonderful. (Until you get to the last few chapters) The story follows Greg from his failed attempt to climb K2 (One of the tallest and most dangerous Himalayan Mountains) to his journey to build schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Besides the fact that I would be doing something like this if I had never married, the book is well written and easy to follow. The author gives plenty of background and doesn't elevate Greg to sainthood, but shows his weaknesses as well. Plus, Greg was in Pakistan when the Taliban took control of Afghanistan and during 9/11.

I would recommend this book to just about anyone who is interested in how one person's influence can truly make a difference in the world.